Spring

William Shakespeare

When daisies pied and violets blue
And lady-smocks all silver-white
And cuckoo-buds of yellow hue
Do paint the meadows with delight,
The cuckoo then, on every tree, 5
Mocks married men; for thus sings he,
Cuckoo;
Cuckoo, cuckoo: Oh word of fear,
Unpleasing to a married ear!

When shepherds pipe on oaten straws, 10
And merry larks are plowmen’s clocks,
When turtles tread, and rooks, and daws,
And maidens bleach their summer smocks,
The cuckoo then, on every tree,
Mocks married men; for thus sings he, 15
Cuckoo;
Cuckoo, cuckoo: Oh word of fear,
Unpleasing to a married ear!

1.What is the purpose of lines 1-4?
a. to create organic imagery
b.to describe the time of day in the meadow
c.to prepare for a later contrast
d.both b and c
e.None of the above

2.What is the dominant technique used in lines 5-6?
a.metaphor
b.alliteration
c.syndenoche
d.personification
e.anthropomorphism

3. Which of the following contrasts are integral to the poem?
a.daisies and violets
b.lady-smocks cuckoo-buds
c.the mirth of spring and the cuckoo's jeering
d.married men and unmarried men
e.spring and fall

4.What idea does Shakespeare try to convey by mentioning flora?
a.seasonal change
b.prevalent fertility
c.universal spirit
d.resurrection
e.purification

5. In which line does the tone shift?
a."Do paint the meadows with delight,"
b."Cuckoo, cuckoo: Oh word of fear,"
c."And lady-smocks all silver-white"
d."Mocks married men, for thus sings he,"
e."And maidens bleach their summer mocks,"

Answers